1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal adapter through which a terminal device is connected to a telecommunication network, and more particularly, to a terminal adapter permitting a user to selectively and easily utilize telecommunication networks respectively provided by telecommunication enterprises with which the user made a service contract.
2. Related Art
In addition to public telecommunication networks provided by a primary telecommunication enterprise (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9ccommon carrierxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cCCxe2x80x9d) such as Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Co., a variety of telecommunication networks (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cNCC networksxe2x80x9d) accessible to various users have been provided by other telecommunication enterprises (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cnew common carriersxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cNCCsxe2x80x9d).
To produce an outgoing call to establish a line connection via a particular NCC network, the user dials an enterprise identification number [00XX] (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cNCC identification numberxe2x80x9d) which specifies such a particular NCC, and then dials a called party""s telephone number. Some of terminal adapters, each serving to connect a user terminal device such as a telephone to a digital telecommunication network, have an auto-dialing function. When a called party""s telephone number is dialed through a dial button operation on the terminal device, a terminal adapter having an auto-dialing function automatically delivers an NCC identification number prior to the delivery of the called party""s telephone number. In response to the delivery of the NCC identification number, a local switching system is connected to a toll switch selected by the local switching system, and then the toll switch is connected to an inter-gateway switch selected by the toll switch. Further, the inter-gateway switch is connected to an NCC exchange selected by the inter-gateway switch based on the NCC identification number, whereby the terminal adapter is connected to the NCC exchange through the public network. Subsequently, procedures to establish a line connection between the terminal adapter and a called party""s terminal device though the public network and the NCC network are started.
The function of automatically delivering an NCC identification number is convenient for users who wish to utilize NCC networks. However, connection procedures, performed after the delivery of the NCC identification number, to establish a line connection between the terminal adapter and the NCC exchange through various exchanges are complicated, to lengthen a period of time required for establishing the line connection and to increase telecommunication costs. Furthermore, some NCCs request users to deliver supplementary information such as a caller ID and/or a password attained by an individual user who made a service contract with these NCCs. It is burdensome for users to operate dial buttons and the like to input the supplementary information each time they use a telephone. In particular, those users who made a service contract with a plurality of NCCs are requested to make a burdensome operation of inputting the supplemental information which varies from one NCC to another NCC.
In order to selectively utilize NCC networks with the aid of an automatic dialing function, the provision of terminal adapters is needed, which adapters respectively correspond to the NCC networks and are connected to the subscriber line through a switching device or through a switching device and a digital service unit. To utilize a particular NCC network, a user should select a required one of the terminal adapters in advance by operating the switching device, if necessary.
Moreover, in order to realize a telecommunication system for establishing a line connection through an NCC network and part of the CC network in response to the delivery of an NCC identification number, NCCs are required to obtain approval for usage of their NCC identification numbers from a government office and to ask the CC to register the NCC identification numbers in a numerous number of CC exchanges, prior to the start of operations of their telecommunication networks. In addition, after using an NCC network, an individual user pays a high-priced fee for services rendered by the CC for connecting a user""s terminal device to the NCC network.
It is advisable to select a low-toll NCC network by comparing tolls to be paid to respective NCC networks, thereby reducing telecommunication costs. In this respect, toll information associated with each NCC can be downloaded through a personal computer connected to a terminal adapter. However, such a download operation is burdensome and difficult to be done in a timely fashion.
In the present specification, the term xe2x80x9cparticular common carrierxe2x80x9d indicates a common carrier with which an individual user made a service contact. The term xe2x80x9cparticular telecommunication networkxe2x80x9d indicates network provided by a particular common carrier, and the term xe2x80x9cparticular exchangexe2x80x9d indicates an exchange provided, typically on the side close to a subscriber line, in a particular telecommunication network.
An object of the present invention is to provide a terminal adapter capable of relieving a user of labor of manually operating a terminal device such as telephone, required at the time of producing an outgoing call to establish a line connection via an arbitrary one of a plurality of telecommunication networks respectively provided by different particular common carriers with which the user made a service contract, and capable of promptly establishing a line connection between the terminal adapter and a particular telecommunication network at low costs in term of simplified connection procedures.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a terminal adapter which eliminates the need of a user""s manual operation to input supplementary information, such as a caller ID and a password, which is to be delivered when requested by an exchange provided in a particular telecommunication network through which the user wishes to establish a line connection.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a terminal adapter which permits the selection of an appropriate network among a plurality of telecommunication networks in the order specified by a user in advance or in an ascending order of toll.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a terminal adapter capable of permitting an individual common carrier to download its structured toll information to the terminal adapter on the initiative of the common carrier, thereby constructing a toll database, proper to an individual user, in the terminal adapter.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a terminal adapter the setup of which can be made by a remote control via telecommunication networks.
According to the present invention, there is provided a terminal adapter including a transmit/receive control section for controlling telecommunication between a user terminal device connected to the terminal adapter and another user terminal device line-connected to the user terminal device through a selected one of particular telecommunication networks respectively provided by particular common carriers with which a user made a service contract.
The terminal adapter of the present invention comprises a memory device for storing at least one table indicating adapter-operating conditions for determining operations of the terminal adapter. The adapter-operating conditions include a plurality of exchange identification numbers respectively specifying particular exchanges respectively provided in the particular telecommunication networks. In response to manual input of a called party""s telephone number through the user terminal device, the transmit/receive control section selects one of the plurality of particular telecommunication networks or a public telecommunication network, and reads out, when one of the particular telecommunication networks is selected, the exchange identification number corresponding to the selected particular telecommunication network from the at least one table stored in the memory device and delivers the same.
According to the terminal adapter of the present invention, when one of particular telecommunication networks, respectively provided by the particular common carriers with which a user made a service contract, is selected in response to the input of a called party""s telephone number through a user terminal device such as a telephone, an exchange identification number such as an exchange telephone number associated with the particular telecommunication network is delivered from the transmit/receive control section of the terminal adapter. In response to the delivery of the exchange identification number, a telecommunication path, through which the terminal adapter is connected to a particular exchange provided in a particular telecommunication network selected in accordance with the called party""s telephone number, is promptly established in the public telecommunication network. In this manner, by delivering an exchange identification number from the transmit/receive control section upon utilization of a particular telecommunication network, a line connection between the terminal adapter and an exchange provided in the particular telecommunication network is promptly established in term of simplified connection procedures as compared to a case where a common carrier identification number is delivered, so that a period of time required for establishment of a line connection may be shortened to thereby reduce telecommunication costs. Further, a user is not required to manually operate a user terminal device in order to input a common carrier identification number or an exchange identification number. Moreover, the particular common carries can operate their telecommunication networks without common carrier identification numbers, so that they are not required to obtain, prior to the start of operations of their networks, approval for common carrier identification numbers from a government office and to ask the common carrier to register identification numbers in a numerous number of exchanges provided in the public network, whereby enormous amounts of cost and time required therefor can be eliminated. Although fee for public network services incurs during usage of a network provided by a particular common carrier, the present invention can reduce such fee.
In the present invention, preferably, a particular exchange, provided in a particular telecommunication network provided by at least one of the plurality of particular common carries, receives, as supplementary information, a user telephone number assigned to the user terminal device, and determines whether the particular telecommunication network is useable by the user terminal device based on the user telephone number received as the supplementary information. When the user terminal device is taken off-hook, the user telephone number is delivered from an exchange provided in the public telecommunication network or from the transmit/receive control section which reads the user telephone number to be delivered, from the memory device of the terminal adapter.
Some common carriers request the user terminal device to deliver supplementary information such as a caller ID upon utilization of telecommunication networks provided by them, and determine whether their telecommunication networks are useable by the user terminal device based on received supplementary information. According to the just-mentioned preferred arrangement, when the user terminal device is taken off-hook, the user telephone number is delivered as supplementary information from an exchange provided in the public telecommunication network or from the transmit/receive control section of the terminal adapter. Upon establishment of a line connection via an NCC telecommunication network, an NCC exchange is notified of the user telephone number as supplementary information such as a caller ID, as mentioned above, to be permitted to confirm whether the NCC telecommunication network is useable by the user terminal device, so that burdensome negotiating procedures upon establishment of a line connection may be implemented smoothly. The user terminal device becomes easy to handle since the need of a burdensome user""s operation of inputting the supplementary information through the user terminal device each time the line connection via an NCC network is made is eliminated.
In the just-mentioned preferred arrangement, the particular exchange may receive both the telephone numbers respectively delivered from an exchange provided in the public telecommunication network and from the transmit/receive control section, and may prohibit utilization of the telecommunication network by the user terminal device if both the telephone numbers are inconsistent with each other, whereby unauthorized utilization of the NCC network by the user terminal device connected to an improper subscriber line, for instance, can be prevented.
In the present invention, preferably, the memory device stores therein a supplementary information table in which a common carrier name or a common carrier identification number or an exchange identification number in respect of at least one particular common carrier is associated with supplementary information requested to be delivered upon utilization of a particular telecommunication network provided by the at least one particular common carrier. The transmit/receive control section reads out supplementary information from the supplementary information table and delivers the same in response to a supplementary-information delivery request made by an exchange provided in the selected one of the particular telecommunication networks.
With this preferred arrangement, when a supplementary-information delivery request is made, in response to the delivery of the exchange identification number, by a particular exchange provided in the particular telecommunication network associated with the delivered exchange identification number, the requested supplementary information is delivered from the transmit/receive control section. To produce an outgoing call for a line connection of the user terminal device, the user is not required to manually operate the user terminal device to input the supplementary information.
In the present invention, preferably, the memory device stores therein a routing phone table in which exchange identification numbers respectively associated with the plurality of particular common carriers are listed. In response to manual input of a called party""s telephone number through the user terminal device, the transmit/receive control section sequentially delivers the exchange identification numbers in the order listed in the routing phone table until a dial tone, indicating that an exchange is ready for telephone number input, is returned from the exchange, and delivers the manually input called party""s telephone number when a dial tone is returned.
With this preferred arrangement, an attempt is made to establish a line connection via a telecommunication network to which the highest utilization priority is given by the user. If no dial tone is returned, an attempt is made to establish a line connection via another telecommunication network to which the next higher priority is given.
More preferably, the transmit/receive control section delivers the manually input called party""s telephone number if no dial tone is returned in response to the delivery of the exchange identification number listed at the end of the routing phone table.
With this preferred arrangement, the line connection via the public telecommunication network is initiated when no dial tone is returned even if the sequential delivery of all the exchange identification numbers listed in the routing phone table, so that the user is not required to manually operate the user terminal device to re-input the called party""s telephone number.
Preferably, the memory device stores therein a routing phone table in which exchange identification numbers respectively associated with the plurality of particular common carriers are listed and a toll table in which pieces of structured toll information in respect of telecommunication networks, respectively provided by the plurality of particular common carriers, are associated with network-utilization conditions and common carrier names or common carrier identification numbers or exchange identification numbers. In response to manual input of a called party""s telephone number through the user terminal device, the transmit/receive control section sequentially delivers the exchange identification numbers listed in the routing phone table in the order determined based on the toll table until a dial tone,.indicating that an exchange is ready for telephone number input, is returned from the exchange, and delivers the manually input called party""s telephone number when a dial tone is returned. More preferably, the transmit/receive control section delivers the manually input called party""s telephone number if no dial tone is returned in response to the delivery of the exchange identification number lastly determined based on the toll table.
With this preferred arrangement, an attempt is made to establish a line connection via the lowest-toll telecommunication network, and if no dial tone is returned, an attempt is made to establish a line connection via the next lower-toll telecommunication network, thereby reducing telecommunication costs. Further, a line connection via the public telecommunication network can be started, where required.
Preferably, the memory device stores therein an operation mode table in which any one of a direct phone mode, an addition phone mode and a routing phone mode is indicated as a selected operation mode of the user terminal device, a direct phone table for storing therein a called party""s telephone number including, where required, one or ones of a country code for international call, a toll area code, and an exchange identification number, an addition phone table for storing therein one or ones of a country code for international call, a toll area code, and a common carrier identification number, a routing phone table in which exchange identification numbers respectively associated with the plurality of particular common carriers are listed, and a toll table in which structured toll information in respect of the telecommunication networks, respectively provided by the plurality of particular common carriers, are associated with network-utilization conditions and common carrier names or common carrier identification numbers or exchange identification number. The transmit/receive control section determines the selected operation mode with reference to the operation mode table when the user terminal device is taken off-hook, and immediately delivers the called party""s telephone number stored in the direct phone table if the direct phone mode is selected. If the addition phone mode is selected, the transmit/receive control section delivers, in response to manual input of a called party""s telephone number through the user terminal device, the number stored in the addition phone table, and then delivers the manually input called party""s telephone number. If the routing phone mode is selected, the transmit/receive control section sequentially delivers, in response to manual input of a called party""s telephone number through the user terminal device, the exchange identification numbers listed in the routing phone table in the order listed in the routing phone table or determined based on the toll table, until a dial tone indicating that an exchange is ready for telephone number input is returned from the exchange. The transmit/receive control section delivers the manually input called party""s telephone number when a dial tone is returned.
With this preferred arrangement, the operation mode of the terminal adapter and hence the operation mode of the user terminal device can be adapted to a way in which an individual user utilizes telecommunication networks and can be changed where required. Typically, the direct phone mode is provided for emergency use, in which a called party""s telephone number for emergency contact can be delivered only by off-hooking the user terminal device (user telephone), thereby calling up a called party""s telephone. The addition phone mode is provide for auto transmission of a common carrier identification number, in which an NCC telecommunication network can be utilized by manually inputting a called party""s telephone number. The routing phone mode is provided for selectively and easily utilizing NCC telecommunication networks.
More preferably, the routing phone table includes check boxes for routing-order designation and automatic routing. The transmit/receive control section sequentially delivers the exchange identification numbers listed in the routing phone table in the order listed in the routing phone table if the check box associated with the routing-order designation is marked or in the order determined based on the toll table if the check box associated with the automatic routing is marked, until a dial tone indicating that an exchange is ready for telephone number input is returned from the exchange. More preferably, the transmit/receive control section delivers the manually input called party""s telephone number if no dial tone is returned in response to the delivery of the exchange identification number listed at the end of the routing phone table or lastly determined based on the toll table.
With this preferred arrangement, the order of network selection for selective utilization of the plurality of particular telecommunication networks can be properly set in advance in accordance with the intention of an individual user.
More preferably, the memory device stores therein a phone table in which telephone numbers, for which a public telecommunication network should be utilized, or area codes including a user""s local area code, or common carrier identification numbers are listed. The transmit/receive control section delivers the called party""s telephone number manually input through the user terminal device, without delivering a toll area code or a common carrier identification number, if the manually input called party""s telephone number or its several highest-order digits is/are coincide with any one of the telephone numbers, the area codes, and the common. carrier identification numbers listed in the phone table.
With this preferred arrangement, a line connection via the public telecommunication network is immediately started, e.g., if a called party""s telephone number for which the public telecommunication network should be utilized is input. Further, there is no fear that a common carrier identification number for which the user did not make a service contract is delivered.
Preferably, the terminal adapter of the present invention further includes an adapter management section which is accessible to the memory device. The adapter management section causes a download memory area of the memory device to store therein structured toll information delivered from a toll database system associated with any one of the plurality of particular common carriers when access is made from the toll database system with intention of delivering the structured toll information. The adapter management section converts the downloaded structured toll information into a toll-table form, and prepares or renews, with use of the structured toll information converted into the toll-table form, the toll table in which structured toll information in respect of the telecommunication networks, respectively provided by the plurality of particular common carriers, are associated with network-utilization conditions and common carrier names or common carrier identification numbers.
With this preferred arrangement, a toll table proper to an individual user can be prepared and renewed with use of the structured toll information in respect of particular common carriers with which the user made a service contract in advance. The lowest-toll telecommunication network can be selected based on this toll table, to thereby reduce telecommunication costs. The toll table includes the toll information which is required and sufficient for the user to select an optimum telecommunication network, but does not include redundant toll information regarding common carriers with which the user did not make a service contract, whereby the memory capacity required for storage of the toll table can be reduced and the selection of an optimum telecommunication network based on the toll table can be made promptly. In addition, the downloading of the latest toll information to the terminal adapter can be made in a timely fashion on the initiative of respective common carriers, so that a burdensome downloading operation on the user side by using a personal computer or the like can be eliminated.
Preferably, when access is made from a server, provided in a service center associated with the terminal adapter, to the terminal adapter, with intention of making the initial setting or renewal of the at least one table stored in the memory device, the adapter management section delivers, through the transmit/receive control section, a reply signal indicating that access from the server to the memory device through telecommunication networks is accepted.
With this preferred arrangement, at the occasion of the initial setting or renewal of the at least one table in the memory device of the terminal adapter, a server provided in the service center serves as the master and the terminal adapter serves as the slave. Typically, the at least one table in the terminal adapter or an equivalent table is displayed on a display screen of the server. Then, data input into various setting fields in the table displayed on the screen is implemented in sequence by a staff member of the service center by manually operating an input device of the server. Each time individual data is manually input, such data is written into a corresponding field in the at least one table in the terminal adapter and at the same time the same data is written into the same field in an equivalent table provided in a memory device of the server. In other words, the writing of table data into the terminal adapter and the server is implemented in a mirroring fashion. Thus, an individual user is not required to carry out an operation for the initial setting and renewal of the at least one table in the terminal adapter. In addition, the same data can be retained in the table provided in the server and equivalent to the table in the terminal adapter, so that the service center may have backup against data destruction in the table of the terminal adapter. Typically, the initial setting and renewal of the table in the terminal adapter is remotely implemented by the service center in term of communication protocol proper to the service center on the basis of a notification, associated with table data, sent from an individual user to the service center. Thus, the terminal adapter can operate in a manner to meet the intention of an individual user, and undesired rewriting of the table in the terminal adapter by outsiders can be prevented.